Green Party Figure Behind 'Zionism Is Racism' Motion Described as 'Close Friend' of Convicted al-Qaeda Supporter in US Court Filings

The Green Party activist who authored a controversial conference motion branding Zionism as racism was identified in American court records as a "close friend" of a man later imprisoned for supporting al-Qaeda, according to documents reviewed by BBC News.

Lubna Speitan, a British-Palestinian artist, put forward the motion that was approved by Green Party members on Sunday, formally adopting the position that Zionism is an ideology underpinning "an ethnonationalist Jewish state." The measure also endorsed the creation of "a single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine," a territory that encompasses present-day Israel.

The 2015 court filings show that Speitan volunteered to appear as a defence witness in the case of Minh Quang Pham, a Vietnamese-born British citizen who was ultimately sentenced to four decades in prison in the United States after admitting to three counts related to his backing of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, an al-Qaeda affiliate. Pham had denied allegations that he was preparing a suicide bombing at Heathrow Airport.

According to the court papers, Speitan was characterised as a "close friend" of Pham who could offer "critical testimony regarding Pham's mental state." The documents stated that her evidence would be "crucial in establishing a mental health defense" and would "bear on the issue of guilt." The filings also noted that a medical condition prevented her from testifying in person.

In a subsequent letter to the presiding US District Judge in 2016, Speitan described Pham as one of the "few people I regard with such high respect and esteem." She suggested that if the judge had truly known Pham as she and others had, the case might have been dismissed entirely. While she conceded that he "may have had and developed some behavioural issues," she went on to call him "one of the kindest, honest, most sincere, trustworthy and respectful people I have ever known."

The court records do not indicate that Speitan was aware of Pham's criminal activities during the period of their acquaintance. The BBC has reached out to Speitan for a response but has not received a reply. The Telegraph reported that when questioned about whether she remained friends with Pham, she answered affirmatively: "Yes, it's still the case." She was also quoted as saying she believed Pham had been "targeted" by "the system."

The background to the case dates back to July 2011, when Pham was detained at Heathrow Airport following a seven-month stay in Yemen. Authorities discovered a live round of ammunition in his possession. He was extradited to the United States in 2015 and received his 40-year sentence the following year. US prosecutors alleged that Anwar al-Awlaki, a senior al-Qaeda figure, had instructed Pham to carry out an explosives attack in Heathrow's arrivals area after receiving several months of training in Yemen.

The revelation about Speitan's connection to Pham emerged via reporting by the Jewish Chronicle, which was subsequently verified by BBC News. The timing is particularly sensitive for the Green Party, which is currently grappling with internal discord following the passage of the Zionism motion.

Israel responded to the motion by barring Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering the country. Jewish organisations condemned the measure as an attack on their community, and some Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs reported the party to Britain's equality watchdog. Speitan has defended the motion by arguing that its supporters sought to express opposition to "racist systems of oppression."

The fallout within the Green Party has been substantial. Several Green councillors have resigned since the vote, including Phil Davies, the party's deputy leader in Wales, who stepped down and cancelled his membership on Tuesday. He described the motion as "the final nail in the coffin."

Polanski, who is Jewish, issued a lengthy statement on Monday night insisting he would not accept anyone being excluded from the party "because of the religious or communal body they are part of." He further emphasised that "antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli state are, and must always be, completely distinct."

A Green Party spokesperson addressed the situation by stating: "Where members have expressed views that do not fit in with the party's values, we have internal processes to investigate." The party has also indicated that Speitan holds no official positions within its structures and that it "takes all allegations of this nature seriously."

The controversy has laid bare deep divisions among Green members, parliamentarians, and deputy leaders over the motion's implications. The party now faces the challenge of managing both external criticism and internal fractures while attempting to maintain its stated commitment to inclusivity and its opposition to antisemitism. The episode raises broader questions about how political parties handle contentious foreign policy positions and the vetting of those who champion them.